Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO
E-mail:ooida@ooida.com Web site: www.ooida.com
Phone: (816) 229-5791 Fax: (816) 427-4468
NEWS RELEASE
OOIDA urges Senate to take action against Mexican trucks
Truckers concerned about safety, security of pilot program
(Grain Valley, MO, Sept. 6, 2007) – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) stood alongside Representatives James Oberstar, Peter Defazio, Nancy Boyda and others in asking the Senate to take immediate action against the Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program, set to begin today.
“It may be called a pilot program, but anyone who understands the full scope knows it’s a pre-ordained plan to fully open our borders, all in the name of economics and cheap labor,” said Todd Spencer, Executive Vice President of OOIDA.
In May, the House voted overwhelmingly, 411-3, to pass the Safe American Roads Act of 2007, legislation which would place restrictions on the pilot program and establish a process to analyze the program’s impact. In July, the House approved an amendment by Rep. DeFazio to prohibit the use of federal funds to implement the Administration's pilot program to allow Mexican-domiciled trucks into the U.S. Despite action taken by the House, the Administration is planning to move forward with the program as early as September 6, 2007. The Senate has not taken any action yet on the matter, but the Senate Transportation Appropriations bill is expected to be on the Senate floor as early as next week.
“The Administration’s contempt toward the rule of law is astounding,” adds Spencer. “They are determined to open our highways to Mexico-domiciled trucking companies regardless of the public’s concerns and what’s in the law book.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, MO, area. The Association currently has more than 155,000 members from all 50 states and Canada.
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